Xiao Xue shook her head and grimaced, “How is that precious? It’s just another ordinary handkerchief that I embroidered—” Her face blanched before she could finish her sentence as a blank look washed over her face, making her look as though her soul had left her body.
“Yeah! Mother isn’t making any sense! Erm… Xiao Xue, what’s wrong with you?” Lu Xiao Shu had just finished complaining about their mother when she noticed the change in her sister’s expression.
“Xiao Shu,” she stuttered, “I, I remember now! That handkerchief… I think… it’s the one that I dropped during the temple fair…”
“Really? It’s good that you remember now! Then we should go and explain it to Mother!” Lu Xiao Shu was instead, very happy about it as she dragged Xiao Xue to head home.
“Xiao Shu…” Xiao Xue’s voice had a hint of frustration and fear as she shuddered, “But, but have you forgotten? That fatso that day— I’m worried… what if he was the one who picked up that handkerchief?”
Lu Xiao Shu was dumbstruck, her expression turning into anger as she snapped, “That son of a b****? Huh! I think it’s possible. How dare he steal and keep your belongings? I’ll go find out which family that bast*rd belongs to and I promise you that I’ll get it back!”
Xiao Xue staggered and her face turned ash white in the blink of an eye. She thought of that matchmaker who kept coming to their house, that day at the temple fair where that chubby boy harassed her and she lost her handkerchief, her mother who suddenly questioned her in anger. Her legs turned into jelly as she groaned and fell to her knees.
“Xiao Xue!” Lu Xiao Shu hurriedly helped her up, “What’s the matter with you?”
“I—” Xiao Xue stared at her little sister in a daze. Her radiant bright eyes lost their shine as they became blank with daze. She was speechless.
Lu Xiao Shu was getting more anxious and angry as she demanded, “Xiao Xue! Xiao Xue! Tell me what’s wrong! Stop worrying me!”
“Xiao Shu!” Xiao Xue’s tears stained her cheeks as she hiccuped, “Xiao Shu, I, I think something happened! That handkerchief must be the source of all the problems!” She shuddered, hiccuped and wailed. After a lot of convincing from Lu Xiao Shu, she sputtered out everything that she guessed.
Even though she was talking to her dearest little sister that grew up with her, it was still embarrassing to say the things that she was saying. Xiao Xue blushed in shame as she forced herself to explain the situation.
“Is that… is that the case?” Lu Xiao Shu could not help being dumbstruck.
She thought about it and replied, “It feels like… you’re right!”
Her words triggered Xiao Xue as she wailed, “Oh my god! What should I do?”
Lu Xiao Shu remembered how her mother said, “you better run to the Zhou Family’s house and never come back”. That was how she became sure of it as she advised Xiao Xue, “Xiao Xue, nothing is confirmed yet. If our mother asks again, we should just tell her the whole story that happened that day. Our parents will definitely decide what’s best for you.”
“What’s the use?” Xiao Xue grimaced, “That handkerchief is obviously mine. If, if it was really taken by that pervert, what can I say to change things?”
She thought to herself: What else can I do other than to submit to their blackmail? If they used my handkerchief and spread rumors of fake stories, what else can I do other than to become a nun?
She would never agree to marry someone like that!
Perhaps this would affect the entire Lu Family, including my little sister who had yet to marry. The little girl is still naive and innocent, thinking about how unfair this whole ordeal it is to me and consoling me. How would she know that her future will be affected by this too?
“I don’t care!” Lu Xiao Shu pouted, “I know that our parents love us and they will never abandon you! That bast*rd harassed you in broad daylight and it’s obviously not an act. No matter how silly our parents can be, they will never throw you to the wolves! Oh! I have an idea!”
Lu Xiao Shu’s eyes lit up as she grinned, “You’re still young. What’s the big deal with a kid losing her belongings? Let’s make the big issue insignificant and then turn the insignificant story into nothing. Won’t that work?”
“Xiao Shu!” Xiao Xue thought it was funny and touching. She sighed, “Little girl, you’re still a kid. I’m almost thirteen and you’re only twelve. We’re not kids anymore! Look at you! You should stop acting like a kid and don’t do things carelessly anymore. I guess I should do the same too…”
“It wasn’t your fault! Obviously, it’s that bast*rd’s problem!” Lu Xiao Shu was filled with hatred as she thought to herself: If I knew how terrible that son of a b**** is, I shouldn’t have let him go so easily. I should have beaten him up into a pulp until he starts crying for his mommy, begging for mercy— err, Perhaps he already did…
That’s not it! I should’ve forced him to tell me where he lives! That way, I can go straight to his house to teach him another lesson!
Oh, wait! Mother would definitely know which family he’s from! That’s convenient—
Lu Xiao Shu made up her mind and persuaded her sister to go along with it. She tried her best and successfully got Xiao Xue on her side. Then, the sisters returned home.
After something like this happened, how would Xiao Xue have the guts to face her mother? So, she headed straight to her bedroom and sat alone, lost in her thoughts.
Not long later, Miao Cui Lan came in to find her in that state. Her anger could not help but bubble up again.
She did not know that Xiao Xue was upset because she understood what happened. She thought that it was her anger and questioning that made her daughter act like the victim sadly. She could not believe that the girl still did not realize her mistake.
She was only thinking of herself. Have they ever thought about how I as their mother would feel? Miao Cui Lan got angrier at that thought. Her eyebrows furrowed and she had a furious look in her eyes.
“Now that you’re back, have you figured it out?” Miao Cui Lan was distressed as she snapped angrily, “Let me ask you another time, where did that handkerchief go? Oh, Xiao Xue! You should know that you can’t hide the truth for long. Since I’ve already asked you, you should know that you can’t hide it from me! Tell me the truth now!”
“Mother!” Since her mother worded it that way, Xiao Xue assumed that her mother thought she had an affair with that pervert, and she could not help feeling upset about it. She got up and kneel before her mother and pulled on her mother’s clothes as she wept, “Mother, I did not lie to you. I wouldn’t dare to hide anything from you. I swear that I lost that handkerchief! I think I must have, must have dropped it that day at the temple fair…”
Miao Cui Lan’s face paled as she demanded, “What exactly happened? Tell me!”
Xiao Xue was ashamed, but she reiterated everything that occurred on that day.
Miao Cui Lan knew for sure that her daughter would never lie. Besides, there was Xiao Yu and Xiao Shu as witnesses. Xiao Shu’s word might not be that trustworthy, but if it was a lie, she knew that her daughter would never drag Xiao Yu into it. Suddenly, she was shocked and mad.
“Preposterous! Absolutely preposterous!” Miao Cui Lan was shaking in anger as her face turned a shade of red and her breathing turned ragged.
In the beginning, Xiao Xue did not want to ever bring it up again, but unexpectedly, she had to retell the story again not long after it happened. It was like experiencing it all over again, making her feel devastated. She kneeled on the ground as she sobbed with her head hanging low. She looked pitiful as her delicate shoulders trembled lightly with her sobs.
Naturally, Miao Cui Lan’s anger was directed at the Zhou Family. They were bullies who had crossed the line!
First, their son harassed her daughter, and now they came, shamelessly forcing for a marriage? Absolutely preposterous!
“Alright, that’s enough. Stop crying and get up!” Miao Cui Lan sighed again, feeling irritated, “Geez! You rarely ever leave the house. How is it that everyone else didn’t get into trouble while you end up in a mess like this? Tsk!”
“Mother!” Xiao Xue’s tears streamed down uncontrollably because she was even more upset to hear this.
“Oh, gosh! Get up! You don’t have to overthink this. I’ll discuss this with your father later.” Seeing her broken state, Miao Cui Lan stopped chastising her.
“Mother, I, I—” Xiao Xue raised her head, her eyes teary. She wanted to say “I would rather die than to marry that pervert!”
Miao Cui Lan was saddened to see her ashamed and taken advantage of. She sighed, “It’s alright. Your father and I will get this settled. Just be a good girl, okay?”
Xiao Xue stopped crying as she nodded and stood up.
Just as Miao Cui Lan stepped out, Lu Xiao Shu addressed her mother with a cheerful grin before zooming into the room to accompany her sister.
“Tsk! Tsk! That girl!” Miao Cui Lan sighed, shaking her head. The sisters are very close, I bet she knows what’s going on too.
The more Miao Cui Lan thought about it, the angrier she got, making her thoughts a complete mess that whole afternoon. When Lu Zhong came home from fixing the water canal, he noticed something off and could not help glancing at her more frequently.
Besides, Miao Cui Lan was not hiding her feelings as she shot him a glare before returning to finish her chores. However, she was cooking up a plan in her mind, thinking of a way to discuss her ideas with him that night.
At night, they retreated to their rooms and Miao Cui Lan impatiently repeated the whole story to him. When she was done, she was relentlessly cursing at the entire Zhou Family, not leaving anyone out including the Lord, Lady, Young Master, and even Li Hua.
Lu Zhong was used to his wife’s temper and the only thing he could do in this situation was to grimace.
Once she was done ranting, he finally asked, “What do you think we should do about it?”
Miao Cui Lan snapped, “I wouldn’t be asking you if I knew what to do! No one can bully our daughter without consequences!”
Miao Cui Lan sighed. After using up all of her energy in cursing and scolding that wretched family, she slowly calmed down. How could she not get angry? How could she not hate them? Her innocent daughter was taken advantage of by them. If it were not for her daughter’s sake, she would have gone straight to that Zhou Family to teach them a lesson.
“Why don’t we ask Chu He to show up and talk them into letting it go? What do you think?” Miao Cui Lan said as a lightbulb lit up in her mind.
